Before Jim Varney became widely known for the Ernest movies, such as 𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 and 𝘌𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘑𝘢𝘪𝘭, the Ernest P. Worrell character had already gained national popularity through a series of extremely successful commercials. This unprecedented phenomenon began years before the idea of making Ernest movies was even on the table. Forty years ago today, and a full three years before the first Ernest movie premiered, Jim Varney and Ernest Director

Before Ernest ever said, “KnowhutImean?”, Jim Varney was already making audiences laugh as Sgt. Glory for Purity Dairies. In the early 1970s, a Nashville advertising company cast Jim in a series of comedic ads as a drill sergeant— first commanding shoppers, barking at milk delivery men, and even the dairy products themselves! This was the start of Jim’s legendary partnership with Carden & Cherry, the team behind all the Ernest commercials, the TV show, and movies fans would come to love. You mig